Lets learn about our dolls, restore them, sew for them and play with them.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

History of Doll Houses

This is the beginning of a large study of dolls houses. I am beginning with the history of them, I hope you learn and enjoy this information. As I've always said the study of dolls is amazing.History Of Doll Houses: Doll Houses were in the beginning toys for the very rich. The family would have a house built and furnished and the children were not really allowed to play with it, but to admire and study it. No one knows when the first dollhouse was built. Germany is credited with having many dollhouses in the seventeenth century. Most of the time the house was a replica of the home in which the family lived. These houses cost a lot of money and were only for the rich and privileged.Dollhouses quickly gained favor through out Europe. By the nineteen century the dollhouse had become a mass-produced toy and children were actually allowed to pay with them as the middle class could now have the means to have them.Today, there are thousands of dollhouses made each year and kits are sold to hobbyists to create very elaborate ones. Some of these dollhouses have become true works of art and are in many museums. It is the houses in the museums that I will mainly concentrate on for our study. I hope you find this subject as fascinating as I have.In my research the houses were originally made in Europe.. America certainly hasmany beautiful dolls houses also.

I found this history of dolls houses on the Boomini Doll House Manufacturer site. I have found in my research of doll house history that it deals primarily with European doll houses. But.. as you will see there are many beautiful and elaborate American dolls houses that are truly works of art. I'm beginning with the older European dolls houses and will them study the ones in America. This is such an extensive subject it cannot be covered completely.

The history of doll houses begins with the simplest patterns and ends with real works of art in which renowned artists and craftsmen were engaged. Due to relatively high construction costs, only the most affluent members of the patriciate could afford them. They used to be present at the royal courts, ducal palaces, and manors of rich aristocracy in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy and England. At present, old doll houses can be found in museums and private collections. They represent a 3-dimintonal document of the epoch’s culture - both material and spiritual.

A leading doll house manufacturing centre used to be Nuremberg. Miniature houses produced there were precisely constructed, with perfected details and sumptuous equipment, all of which, obviously, entailed high prices. Paris ranked second to Nuremberg in terms of doll house production. There, a lot of attention was put into both elegant finish and the dolls’ clothes which were supposed to match contemporary fashion trends. Many of the English doll houses which were once beloved by members of the royal court and rich aristocracy, may now be admired in various museums. Dutch cabinet doll houses (the so-called „poppenhuizen”) excelled doll houses from other countries in terms of their valuables. Richly decorated, they were equipped with valuable materials, such as ivory, silver and porcelain. They were usually a wedding present given by the groom to the bride and by mirroring the bride’s family estate, they were supposed to soothe bride’s homesickness. Craftsmen who made them were associated in a separate guild.

The hayday of doll houses was the period between the years 1700 and 1900. In the beginning, doll houses were not meant to be a toy but were miniature pieces of art performing various functions. Their major function was decorative and representative. Doll houses were most frequently true replicas as well as decorations of manors. Their equipment enchanted with skill and precision. They not only contained exact copies of real furniture, but also carpets, curtains, minature porcelain, silver dishes, ivory decorations, paintings by famous artists and books. A miniature version of a real manor house owned by the daughter of Prince of Bavaria Albrecht V housed miniature bottles with real wine in its tiny cellars. Later designs included electricity and sewage system as well. Doll houses performed a didactic function too. By observing the houses and their equipment, and later playing with them, kids acquired knowledge and prepared for their roles in adult lives. It may seem surprising, but in a house which the Princess of Saxony gave to her daughters in 1512, emphasis was placed on kitchen equipment. In other doll houses, on the other hand, one could find not only books but also maps, mini-globes or drawings presenting authentic historical buildings. Doll houses construed in this way are a tangible document of the epoch and the source of knowledge about culture and lifestyle of their owners.

The most famous doll house is an English Queen Mary’s house. It presents a 1:12 - scale Windsor castle and the equipment dates back to the 20’s of the 20th century. It was a present for Queen Mary’s birthday given to her by grateful subjects who wished to thank their queen for her attitude and dedication during WW1. The idea for building it originally came from Queen’s cousin Princess Marie Louise and the design was prepared by Sir Edwin Lutyen. The completion of this incredible miniature took four years. Its interiors enchant with precision and accuracy. The wall papers, carpets, curtains and furniture are exact copies of real castle equipment from the times of Queen Mary’s reign. The house contains contemporary paintings, 300 books by authors such as A. Conan Doyle, J. Conrad, R. Graves and others, a miniature gramophone playing God save the King, photo albums and many other items. Royal cars with petrol engines can be found in a garage nearby. Bathrooms contain tiny towels and cellars house bottles of real wine. The bathrooms are fully plumbed with hot and cold water; even the light fittings are working. 70 people were putting the house into life, among them: artists, craftsmen, sculptors, painters, writers and poets. It is now on display in Windor castle.

A bookcase-like cabinet doll house commissioned by Petronella de la Court in 1670 took nearly 20 years to build! It was ordered in 1670. Made of olive wood and divided into 11 parts, lavishly equipped, filled with rich trinkets, it contains 1,600 various objects: from 28 dolls through Dutch paintings, ivory bas-reliefs, sculptures, finely made clocks, or even a globe with a brass stand, to illustrated books with leather covers. The house used to be a pride of its first owner. At present, it is displayed at Utrecht Museum.

Doll houses were exclusive products, available merely for a limited number of people. Made with precision and consisting of top quality materials, they enchanted with accurate details and precise workmanship. They were pieces of art created by artists and talented craftsmen, completely transcending the dimention of common toys. They decorated, added prestige to the owners, educated and entertained.

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About Me

I have been a doll collector for a long time. I don't usually buy new dolls, but the ragged basket cases. I love to clean them up and make them beautiful again. I love to restore them to the beauty they were intended to have. I love to sew new clothes and make all kinds of accessories for them. I also love doll history. I want to know what or who made the doll, when it was made, what its made of, and how it was originally dressed. I like to make displays for my dolls and show them off. Lets play, share and learn about our dolls.